Meet Bobby Baker

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours? My life has been spent in the arts in some fashion, from grade school to present. I spent a great deal of time as a professional musician, before a 25-year career as a sales and marketing executive with a New England music instrument retailer. My photography journey began as an assistant to a Palm Beach, Florida event photographer in the late 1970’s. A demanding tour schedule with a musical act at the time eventually relegated my photography to the backseat for quite a while. However, photography was always important to me, and it was through my musical travels across the US, the Caribbean, and Mexico that I was treated to an incredible smorgasbord of vistas, people, and “cool things” that stirred my creativity.

For me, it was always the ocean and things coastal that provided inspiration, and it remains so to this day. About 15 years ago a coworker viewed some of my work from my “musician on tour” period and encouraged me to get serious about this art form. I heeded her advice and began to show new work with quick success that moved me to seriously remain on this artistic path. With my executive career now retired to the rear-view mirror, my time was all about my art, and with the stimulus for my creativity being so many special things on Cape Cod, it only made sense to live on the Cape full-time. A little more than two years ago my wife Dena and I made the move, purchasing a charming antique house and barn on the Cape. We have since converted the barn into the Bobby Baker Gallery featuring my work and that of some very talented Cape artists.

Please tell us about your art. I am probably best known for my black and white work, most often involving coastal elements. It’s been noted in published reviews of my artwork that it “evokes emotion” and has “lasting emotional resonance.” If that is so, then I feel successful with what I have created, and with what I hope people take from it. My wish is always that my work does indeed stir emotions and forms a connection with the viewer.

I also create in color when the subject, mood, or message deem color to be the medium of choice. My color pieces are most often done as large format Aluminarte prints intended to take over a collector’s wall, or even an entire room.

While most of my work is created on the Cape, my art is not specifically Cape Cod or seascapes per se, but I use coastal elements to create a mood and/or message – and Cape Cod provides me with so many wonderful things to work with. I believe that frequently an artist’s work is reflective of what they have a passion for in life – and in my case, the ocean and a coastal environment has always energized me and provoked thought.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today? I think the biggest challenge is what it’s always been – creating interesting art and knowing how to successfully market yourself and your art. I know that some may lament that there are so many artists out there that it’s difficult to gain traction in the art business. However, I would think it difficult to name numerous businesses where there are not “many others out there.” And like those other businesses, the “art business” world is comprised of success and failure most often derived from good and bad business decisions, as well as the quality and desirability of the “product” you produce. There are very many artists on the Cape and for good reason as it provides an incredible environment in which to create – and there is certainly no shortage of galleries here – and that’s cool, too. Key is making sure that you and your work are in the mix to be seen and heard – and if your art speaks to the client, the sales will follow. Artists need to use the social media tools we now have access to in order to get eyes on their art and be comfortable in sharing their story. If potential clients don’t see your art, you don’t exist no matter how great your work may be.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work? My fine art gallery is located in the village of Cataumet on Cape Cod. I show a wide selection of my work in the Bobby Baker Gallery along with the art of other noted Cape artists. Additionally, my work is represented at the Copley Society of Art in Boston and the Steve Lyons Gallery in Chatham, Cape Cod. Online, my work may be seen at www.BobbyBaker.com and www.BobbyBaker.Gallery.

Raw, unfiltered creative expression – from stories and photographs to illustrations and paintings – is at the heart of the BostonVoyager. ...

Local StoriesSeptember 14, 2018

BostonVoyager is part of the LA-based Voyage Group of Magazines. Our mission is to promote mom and pops, artists, creatives, makers and small businesses by providing a platform for these hidden gems to tell their stories in their own words.